Headless commerce is a revolutionizing technology that’s changing the eCommerce landscape. It provides businesses with unparalleled flexibility, speed, and scalability. This technology decouples the front-end and back-end to create a seamless omnichannel experience according to evolving consumer needs.
As eCommerce grows more competitive, adopting a headless architecture can future-proof operations, improve site performance, and unlock new growth opportunities. Whether for enterprise-level scalability or enhanced customization, headless eCommerce is redefining how online stores operate, delivering a strategic advantage in the evolving marketplace.
Technology has changed the way users shop online and there are a lot of new ones in the market that transforming the user experience and the way they shop. Headless commerce is one such technology, although it’s not as new as it was in the market for years.
But what makes this technology a worth try is its flexibility, performance improvement, and seamless omnichannel experience. However, the question is, is it worth the risk to implement it on my eCommerce website or get my store developed on it?
To make things easier for you and give you a clear idea about what is headless eCommerce, its benefits, challenges, costs, how it helps you, and many more in this blog. So, stay tuned and find out why it’s worth the shot.
Let’s start with the basics, what is headless commerce?
Headless commerce is an eCommerce architecture where the frontend (user interface) and backend (business logic, database, and checkout functionality) are decoupled for greater design flexibility to improve customer experience with the power of robust backend, while traditional eCommerce platforms bundle everything together.
Headless eCommerce gives you the freedom to innovate without being restricted by monolithic architectures.
Traditional eCommerce architecture has tightly coupled frontend and backend that limit customization, whereas headless eCommerce solves this by allowing businesses to use APIs to connect various frontend frameworks, devices, and touchpoints, which allow quick adoption of new trends without disrupting core functionalities.
The API-driven approach further boosts its capabilities and allows seamless integration with AI, AR, and IoT-enabled shopping experiences.
Let’s look at the various advantages that you get if you opt for headless eCommerce development for your existing or new website.
Headless architecture decouples the front-end and back-end granting it the uniqueness of coupling engaging UI without disturbing backend operations.
The decoupled frontend allows faster load times as you can optimize the code and edit junk code to improve the experience.
Faster loading and improved frontend experience across web, mobile, and in-store kiosks, allowing customers to enjoy their shopping.
Headless commerce gives you better control over the website content, UI/UX, and customer journeys.
The decoupled architecture reduces the risk by isolating the user interface with the backend adding another layer of security to the website.
The independent structure of headless commerce allows scaling of front-end and back-end systems without any issue.
Headless eCommerce makes it easier to integrate modern technologies and tools to the front or backend as your business needs evolve.
Now let’s check out the challenges that headless commerce brings with its development.
In many eCommerce software, the front and back end are strongly coupled together (interface and API-wise). Therefore, you need a skilled developer who can manage the APIs and front-end development conveniently.
Traditional platforms have a connected interface that is easier to maintain and develop. On the other hand, the initial development and maintenance of headless architecture can be costlier than traditional ones.
Traditional platforms connect with different third-party systems such as CMS, ERP, CRM, Logistics platforms, and more. Whereas, in a headless structure, software integration requires additional efforts.
Compared to traditional monolithic platforms, the setup of headless eCommerce takes more planning and execution time due to the decoupled structure.
On a scalable website - one that gets new products and traffic frequently, that get continuous updates and API optimizations are necessary for long-term success.
If the challenges discourage you from Headless eCommerce, then let me tell you some of the top brands that have successfully implemented and are using it on their eCommerce website. Some of the prime eCommerce brands that have adopted headless eCommerce solutions are:
Before going headless, Nike had a monolithic eCommerce website; however, they chose to go headless to test it. This proved beneficial for them as it helped them deliver a seamless mobile and web experience. It helped them gradually capture more market share than their competitor Adidas.
They faced heavy competition from Amazon and Walmart as customers could switch easily from one brand to another. They performed a detailed analysis and realized that 80% of their customers start their buyer journey on one device and finish it on another.
They wanted to unify this to offer customers a seamless experience, the possible solution is going headless. As a result, Target increased its website conversion rate.
It is an apparel brand that decided to adopt headless eCommerce at an early stage. They identified the potential of headless commerce. They wanted a unified experience between desktop and mobile users as the majority of their visitors are mobile users, therefore, they relaunched their website to PWA.
This contributed to their success as Lilly Pulitzer saw a traffic increase of 80% and the revenue by mobile went up by 33%.
They felt limited as their store lacked an innovative shopping experience and they were incurring huge development and maintenance costs that impediment their expansion plans. They were looking for a cost-effective, marketing-friendly, and feature-rich solution for their business.
They decided to move to headless commerce development, which in terms turned out to be the turning point for their business. This resulted in their site getting faster by 75%, made content publishing 90% faster, and productivity boost by 50%.
Larq was looking for a powerful platform that could empower and scale, along with facilitating flexible customization. Additionally, they wanted advanced features and functionality to compete in the international market.
They choose headless commerce development as it gives them complete control over their content and customer experience. As a result, they saw a 400% increase in their year-on-year revenue and an increase of 80% increase in conversion rates in 3 months.
Now you know the benefits, challenges, and some prominent case studies, but you still have some doubts, right? Well, don’t worry, we are here to answer your every query and in case we miss something, then you can contact us at sales@futuresoft.in or visit our headless eCommerce page to learn about our headless services.
Headless commerce development is right for you, if:
There are several eCommerce platforms that you can consider for your headless commerce solution development. Some major ones are:
While opting for headless commerce, there are certain factors you should evaluate:
APIs play a crucial role in headless commerce development:
Example GraphQL Query
{
"query": "{ product(id: \"123\") { name price description } }"
}
This GraphQL query fetches only necessary product details to reduce API calls and improve performance.
These options for hosting a headless eCommerce application:
Headless commerce allows brands to sell on multiple channels effortlessly:
Headless commerce development empowers you to create flexible, scalable, and high-performing eCommerce experiences. Whether you are a startup or an enterprise, transitioning to a headless commerce solution can be a game-changer for growth. With an optimized strategy and the right implementation, you can stay ahead in the digital commerce space. Ready to start your headless commerce journey? Contact us today and transform your online business!
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